Following Disney’s acquisition of Pixar, the company has become a force to be reckoned with when it comes to making animated movies. Rather, the competition has of late taken an inwards approach with several of its own movies vying for the top spot at the box office. Cementing this fact while crowning itself as the highest-earning animated movie of all time is Inside Out 2.
The sequel to its 2015 predecessor, the movie’s plot continued with the story of Riley, now a teenager. While introducing new and complex emotions. A mass appeal factor coupled with a unique storyline enabled the film to just dethrone a Disney crown jewel, which despite its poor critical reception, had maintained its lead for nearly half a decade.
Inside Out 2 outperforms a Disney remake in all aspects
Released on June 14, 2024, Inside Out 2 debuted to a resounding reception at the box office. Moreover, its continued momentum has now landed it a global box office haul of $1.667 billion. Impressive in itself, the feat meant that the movie is now the highest-grossing animated film of all time surpassing Disney’s own 2019 movie, The Lion King, which stood at $1.662 billion.
On another aspect, Inside Out 2 also ranked far above The Lion King when it came to critical reception with the former’s 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, dwarfing the 52% of the latter. Furthermore, unlike the long list of complaints attached to the story of the lions, the new rank holder amassed widespread praise for its thoughtful depiction of mature emotions.
2019’s The Lion King became a prime example of what critics labeled as a “cynical Disney money grab”. With almost the same plot as its 1994 original animation, the film only added visual enhancements and updated music. Thus, many critics simply recommended watching the original. Fortunately, Inside Out 2 avoided this mistake, gained overwhelmingly positive reviews, and also added tons of easter eggs.
Inside Out 2 leaves behind 2024’s biggest releases
In terms of head-to-head at the box office, Inside Out 2 has not only clinched the crown of being the highest-ever animated film but also earned the distinction of being the highest-grossing film of 2024, surging much ahead of some of the most anticipated releases of the year. For starters, it has grossed more than twice that of Dune: Part Two’s worldwide revenue despite the Denis Villeneuve movie’s swooning reception and massive hype.
Big-ticket franchise releases like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, all sit below its collection. In the animation department, it beat Kung Fu Panda 4 and Despicable Me 4. Finally, on home turf as well, it sits comfortably ahead of Deadpool & Wolverine’s haul of $1.26 billion so far.
Inside Out 2 is running in cinemas and available for digital purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Inside Out 2 earn at the box office?
According to the article, Inside Out 2 reached a reported global box office of $1.667 billion, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time at the time, narrowly surpassing Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King ($1.662 billion). It also became the highest-grossing film of 2024 worldwide. (The film’s final lifetime worldwide gross would later climb to roughly $1.699 billion.)
Which film did Inside Out 2 overtake to become the top animated movie?
Inside Out 2 dethroned Disney’s 2019 photorealistic computer-animated remake of The Lion King. Per the article, The Lion King had held the animated record for nearly half a decade at $1.662 billion, despite a 52% Rotten Tomatoes critics score and reviewers calling it a cynical Disney ‘money grab’ that mostly added updated visuals and music to the 1994 original.
When was Inside Out 2 released and how was it reviewed?
The article states Inside Out 2 was released on June 14, 2024 as the sequel to the 2015 film, continuing Riley’s story as a teenager facing new, more complex emotions. It earned a 91% Rotten Tomatoes critics score and broad praise for its thoughtful depiction of mature emotions, well above The Lion King’s 52% critical rating.
